In The Age of Coronavirus: Love Your Neighbor

When 2020 first rolled around, the idea that entire countries would soon be on lockdown would have sounded preposterous. But in just a few months, life as we knew it has halted to a stop. Large gatherings are being banned across the country. Some states are mandating that bars and restaurants shut their doors, save for deliveries, for several weeks. We are being told to stay 6 feet away from one another. That is the average width of a car!

The CDC and state public health department are providing best practices given the information they have. But who is providing best practices for how we are to follow Christ in the age of coronavirus?

We need to talk practical application because Jesus did not give caveats for loving our neighbors. So how do we love those around us when social distancing is the rule of the day? And how should we encourage our congregations and circles of influence to take advantage of the most unexpected of circumstances.

1. Soak up God’s Word. Let His comfort wash over you. Meditate on His truth so that when your friends and neighbors begin talking about their fears, and they will, you have a salve for their fear-filled soul.

2. Stay home! This sounds counterproductive, but right now one very practical way to love our communities is to keep our physical distance. There is still so much unknown about this virus but we do know it is possible to be asymptomatic and still be contagious.

3. Get on an app like Nextdoor to get in touch with your neighbors. Once you are on the app, use it purposefully. Start conversations. Ask people what their needs are. Find out what people are worried about. And once you know, ask the Lord to guide you how to meet that need in a safe and practical way. Oh, and ask your neighbors if you can pray for them. More than ever, people want to talk and they are willing to engage in a greater depth of conversation.

4. Reach out to your friends and neighbors and ask them if they need someone to get groceries for them. We often bemoan the evils of social media, but this is a great opportunity to use it in a way that can bless others.

5. There is a decent chance some of our friends and neighbors over 60 haven’t mastered the use of video chat, ordering groceries online, or even email. If you are able to do so without putting them at risk, offer to help them get online or do their grocery order for them.

6. Make your community feel known. Everyone is isolated right now and while many introverts are living their bliss, your extroverts may be having an exceptionally hard time. Engage them in text and email conversation. Send them video greetings. Consider asking them to do a daily bible study or devotional over Skype or Facetime.

7. Be authentic. Don’t pretend you do not experience anxiety. Be honest with your community about your anxiety but always, always bring your fears back to the anchor of God’s Word. We are reminded in Philippians 4 that when we have anxiety, we are to bring it to God with prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. We are to train our thoughts on that which is true. Read Philippians 4:4-9. Chew on it. Practice it. Be reminded that the Lord is near!

COVID-19: What’s Love Got To Do With It?

TogetherLA is a movement of pastors, church leaders and people of faith who love LA. And there is no better time to discuss what it means to love LA than when a global pandemic reaches our shores.

What seemed like someone else’s concern just a few weeks ago is now the concern of every person on planet earth. It is hard to believe that statement is not hyperbole. COVID-19, aka the novel Coronavirus, is now a pandemic. The goal is no longer to stop the disease in its tracks, but rather reduce the rate at which the disease spreads.

Every company, organization and social institution is asking what their responsibility needs to be in mitigating the spread of the Coronavirus, and that includes churches. But churches have historically been a place of refuge in situations such as these. So what should our response be when it might be most beneficial to close our doors? Do we continue to host live services, community groups and classes, or do we disrupt our accessibility to the masses to reduce spread?

California officials are calling for a cancellation of all large group gatherings of 250 people or more, as are many other cities and states throughout the country. Churches in the LA area and beyond have decided to move their gatherings online, or cancel them altogether for the foreseeable future. And for good reason.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, told Congress today that “Right now, all of us, regardless of what testing is going on, need to be doing the kind of distancing, avoiding crowds, teleworking when possible. I said it many times and I’ll say it again. This is not business as usual.”

How do we, as a church, best love our city? We certainly do not want to react in fear. We want to be confident that God is in control and will provide all we need. However, we also want to lean in to the common grace God has afforded us through the wisdom of science and medicine. And if we look at past pandemics, enforcing social distancing has historically been extremely effective at lowering morbidity rates and reducing the rate of spread.

We have to ask ourselves - is it more loving for us to provide traditional gatherings for our congregants and our city, or is it more loving to place a temporary halt on our daily lives in order to fight for the safety of those who are most vulnerable among us?

In the coming days we will look at how the Coronavirus is affecting all areas of life and church and what it looks like to love LA in these unprecedented times.

Dear Los Angeles, A Letter to a Grieving City

By Jeremy Treat

Los Angeles is hurting, again. The helicopter that went down with Kobe Bryant and his daughter Giana, along with seven other beloved people, struck a nerve in Los Angeles, sending reverberations of pain throughout the city. While a celebrity death is no more of a loss than any death, this tragedy has uniquely shaken L.A. Why? From my perspective, as a pastor in Los Angeles, the answers reveal much about the City of Angels and the people who call it home. 

A tragedy as wide-reaching as the death of Kobe Bryant seems to have tapped into the personal pain we all carry, opening up space for everyone to lament together. We’re all suffering in one form or another, dealing with loss, trauma, or disappointment. What’s happening in L.A. right now is that a common loss has created a sense of a communal release, a cathartic experience of the city groaning with agony. As we mourn with those who mourn, we learn that somehow pain is more bearable when it’s shared. 

Kobe’s death is also striking a nerve because it exposes many of the facades of day-to-day life and forces us to confront reality. One person’s initial response to the news of the crash is revealing: “He can’t die. He’s Kobe.” She said it, but that’s how we all felt. It’s sad to say, but, for me, Kobe’s death humanized him. He’s not a “celebrity” or even a “legend,” he was a father, a husband, a person—just like you and me. A loss like this pulls back the curtain on L.A. culture that attempts to ignore the fragility of life, avoid the inevitability of death, and live as if what really matters is image and fame. Death isn’t the exception, it’s the norm. It comes sooner for some, but the shock that we feel ought to make us ponder what really matters most in life.

Perhaps the greatest reason Kobe’s death is affecting Los Angeles so deeply is because of the way Kobe represents L.A. I don’t mean in the superficial sense of gracing billboards and being associated with the city at large. The depth of pain is a result not of Kobe’s celebrity but of his story. Like many Angelenos, Kobe came to L.A. at a young age with much potential. The success and the city got to him in many ways, however, and by the age of twenty-five, his dream had become a nightmare. Kobe wasn’t on SportsCenter for basketball highlights but for his trial over rape allegations. But as Kobe moved into his early forties, he was focused on being a good dad to his daughters, giving back to the community, and maturing as a man. I think Angelenos are grieving so deeply because they identify with eighteen to twenty-five-year-old Kobe but they want to be like forty-one-year-old Kobe. 

Amidst the pain and confusion of this loss, many people in Los Angeles are asking, “What can I do with all this sorrow and sadness?” Right now, we need to grieve. Rather than ignoring, minimizing, or numbing the pain, we should lament the pain, acknowledging the loss for what it is. It’s okay to cry. Grief is the appropriate response to loss.

Ancient Wisdom for a Fractured Society

Reality LA recently hosted award-winning author, James K.A. Smith, for a discussion on how ancient wisdom can still help Christians navigate the world today. The insights he shared largely came from Saint Augustine, a 5^th century theologian and political advocate for legal mercy, refuge for fugitives and slaves, and revolutionary hope. As we enter this politically-charged election year in an increasingly divided society, Augustine’s life and writing offer a wealth of wisdom that can help us navigate some of the big questions surrounding faith and politics.

Should Christians care about politics?

Some Christians disengage politics based on flawed views that politics are inherently worldly and evil, while others are paralyzed by the overwhelming and seemingly broken system we live in. The truth is, we need a system in place in order to share life with others. Politics are a necessary reality in our world. Therefore, as Christians who are called to engage the world, we are called and empowered to be political (not partisan) ambassadors of Christ.

In our society, politics wield the most power in shaping the lives of others on a large scale. Politics are a foundational avenue to help work toward the common good, meaning shalom and wholeness for our neighbors in all aspects of life. By engaging in this system, we are working to care for our neighbor and for the vulnerable. In the midst of this, we also acknowledge that politics are not the ultimate reality, which is that Christ is on the throne, and no ruler can save us or our world.

What shapes our political identity?

A central understanding that Augustine challenges us to have is knowing when we are. In his book, The City of God, he uses the metaphors of the ‘earthly city’ and ‘the City of God’ to help highlight the tension between the world and God’s kingdom. We are living in the time between the cross and kingdom come, which means we are citizens of God living in the earthly city. In this tension, we hope and pray for the kingdom to be fully realized, and in the meantime act as ambassadors for the kingdom to our world.

The metaphor highlights the different loves and driving passions for each city. The earthly city functions based on the drive for power and domination. The City of God is ordered around a pursuit of the common good through sacrifice, worship and selflessness. As we acknowledge these different ambitions, we do our best to forge a common life with citizens of the earthly city. We engage the systems in place to seek harmony and wholeness, while resting in the ultimate hope of the coming kingdom.

How should we prepare for this divisive election year?

Understand the Tension

Everyone is looking for a story to live into that is bigger than ourselves. Without the vision of God’s story, many people see politics as the bigger story they can root their identity in, especially with the increasing awareness and passion for social justice in our society. We should seek to understand how personal and foundational politics can be to others, while understanding for ourselves that God plays a longer game than the news and election cycles.

As we partner with others in their pursuit of seeking purpose and justice, we too should seek to serve institutions – not for their own sake, but for the sake of how they serve others. We recognize the dangers of nostalgia, the status quo, and divisive partisan identity, as we seek to be curators of collaboration and the common good within the political system.

Be Rooted in Christian Community

Our participation in the church helps shape our vision for this entire process. Christian community is a place to practice mutual submission, and to refresh our posture of hope and joy in a fractured world. Without it, we can lose sight of our true identity as citizens of the City of God, lose our vision for the common good, and lose ourselves in the messages of the earthly city.

This does not mean that Christian community is a utopia or collective of identical beliefs. It can only teach us collaboration because it is a place of fellow, flawed people. If we’re not careful, we can let politics be what tears us apart. When discussing politics with a fellow Christian, especially in times of disagreement, we should approach the encounter with a posture of humility. We need to recognize our shortcomings, enter the conversation seeking to learn, and always give others the benefit of the doubt. We should share our process of how we arrived at our current views, and focus on shared Christian values that led us there. We are not called to debate and convince. We are called to nourish friendships, to love, and to respectfully dialogue.

The Death of Kobe Bryant: Fallen Icons and Heart of Popular Culture

By Justin BaileyOn Sunday, January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash. The deaths sent shockwaves through the NBA, Los Angeles, and the world at large. NBA teams started games by taking 24 and 8 second violations, in tribute to the numbers he wore. Talk show hosts wept openly. Sports analysts spoke of lost friendship, reconciliation, and death. Tributes poured out from a whole generation who had grown up wanting to be like him.Read the full article here.

Kobe Bryant - It Is Well

As the news of Kobe Bryant's helicopter tragically crashing unfolded today, I could not help but recall the words to the famous hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” and the circumstances in which they were penned.In 1871, Horatio G. Spafford lost his 2-year-old son and then encountered financial ruin when his properties were lost in the Great Chicago Fire. Two years later, he sent his wife Anna and their four daughters ahead of him to Europe as he was delayed on business. En route to Europe, their boat sank and all four of his daughters died. He quickly boarded a ship to meet his wife, and while passing the area in which their boat sank, he wrote the powerful lyrics to this song.As the world mourns the loss of Kobe Bryant, Gianna “GG” Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan, I can only imagine the all-too-real heartache that now resides in these homes. And as I pray for a wife who has lost her partner, husbands who lost wives, a momma who has lost her baby, children who no longer have a parent, I pray that they’ll be met with the same overwhelming Grace that found Spafford all those years ago.

“It Is Well With My Soul”

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:It is well with my soul,It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,Let this blest assurance control,That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—My sin, not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:If Jordan above me shall roll,No pang shall be mine, for in death as in lifeThou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,The sky, not the grave, is our goal;Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,Even so, it is well with my soul.

Helping The Homeless

During this season when our thoughts turn to the Greatest Gift given, we are moved to express that gift in tangible ways with the lost, last and least among us.  We cannot ignore that the number of unhoused people has increased. Across the county, there are around 59,000 sleeping “in the rough”, of those 36,000 alone can be found in the City of Los Angeles.  While this situation is unacceptable and we pray that our elected leaders enact the right strategies and policies, the Body of the Christ can help ensure that helpful services that exist reach the most vulnerable. Among the latter are families with children.  The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has identified 16,000 students who are homeless (living with a parent or two in shelters, cars or tents).

The LAUSD Homeless Education Program offers a sponsorship project every Christmas season whereby a homeless family receives personal items as well as gifts for the children.  This is a direct way for a church to share the joy of serving a Loving God.  The program will provide a list of items that can be given as well as the back story of the sponsored family.  For more information about the project, you can contact Tammy Wood (a believer), Senior Facilitator at (213) 202-2004 or tammy.wood@lausd.net

Beyond this Christmas time, you can bless a high school senior who has overcome the challenges of being homeless to receive a diploma.  You also can contact Tammy Wood on how your church can honor a graduating student who is homeless.

Another way to assist homeless families is through the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).  Its Head Start and Early Learning Division give homeless families with children, ages 3-5yrs, priority in getting services to ensure the stability of the family and instill skills and knowledge (health, academic, social-emotional) that will enhance positive development growth in the child.  The services are at no cost to the family but a child must be enrolled in the program.  No home address is required but the family must verify that they are indeed homeless; a letter from a pastor can fulfill that requirement.  To get information about the Head Start program and locate the nearest one near your church call 1-877-773-5543 or go on the website www.prekkid.org.  As homeless families are a priority LACOE will help identify the closest Head Start that has an opening.

May your church be a blessing to others in special ways this season.

Jonathan Wu on Faith and Work

Faith and work. It is a hot topic today in certain Christian circles. I’ve attended workshops, read Tim Keller’s book and had countless conversations with friends questioning if and how our non-ministry work matters. But for all the time I’ve spent thinking about it, I haven’t heard it preached much from the pulpit.

I recently caught up with Jonathan Wu about why that might be. He’s the Executive Pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles, and he also serves as a City Network Leader for Made to Flourish. Meeting in 33 different cities, Made to Flourish’s primary vision is to equip pastors and their congregations for the integration of faith, work and economic wisdom for the flourishing of their communities.

“One area where many struggle to make a connection, and where pastors often don’t know how to equip their congregations, is integrating the Christian faith with work and economic wisdom,” said Wu.

What sets Made to Flourish apart is that their organization is a network of pastors, not marketplace leaders, who may not have been shaped by the theology of work. “They may not have thought through what a work and faith theology can be that could unleash the spiritual potency of the congregation throughout the week.”

For some, the confluence of faith and work is not a new concept. But for many pastors and their congregations, this is a unique conversation that Wu and Made to Flourish hope to foster. “We take seriously that God calls us to a faithful life, in all areas of life, not just on Sundays,” states Wu.

This network exists not just to tackle difficult questions, but also to provide a place for pastors in a given city to gather and experience community. “I think that pastors need a place where they can convene together with peers, so fellowship is an implicit value we have,” said Wu. “It is fun to explore and broaden our reach slowly.”

They meet 10-15 times per year, for lunches and seminars, and attempt to tackle a different topic each time. According to Wu, at times they try to meet in the churches of the various pastors because “it is wonderful to be in their context, to learn about their mission as a church and how they participate in the kingdom.”

In a recent gathering in which they focused on faith and work, the things pastors were wrestling with varied greatly depending upon their context. For example, within some immigrant communities, most of the pastors are bivocational and their congregants often work in trade professions. This topic was “totally enlightening and engaging for some of these pastors personally,” said Wu. They also learned how to communicate these principles to their congregants, some of whom are recent immigrants for whom this conversation takes a very different shape than those in more white collar occupations.

While Made to Flourish has not reached every pastor across the LA area, they are slowly building avenues to provide formative thinking.

According to Wu, “we believe pastors have a key role to play in the faith and work movement because Christians miss out on something crucial when their church does not support them in this integration.”

Pray for those who want to leave L.A.

Pray for those who come to Hollywood and get consumed by loneliness, discouragement and fear, and then leave L.A. defeated. For those who leave, it comes down to the same reasons: L.A. is full of transient, superficial people and it's hard to find friends; the traffic is horrible; people care more about their careers than about each other; it's too big, too scary, too lonely, and too isolating. We have found through the years that the most successful weapons of the enemy are isolation, discouragement, and fear. Pray for God to help authentic, encouraging communities and friendships flourish in the entertainment industry and that our Christian community in Hollywood will be more empowered to be at the forefront of making L.A. feel like a place of belonging for those who are lonely. As you pray, watch these videos below by people who have decided to move away.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sj4zEgV7bUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7wxRx_pwoI